Sanitary drinking-fountain.



P. MUELLER & A. C. SCHUERMANN.

SANITARY DRINKING FOUNTAIN.

APPLICATION IILED DEG. 19, 1911.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

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yP. MUBLLER se A. o. SGHUERMANN. SANITARY DRINKING TOUNTAIN.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19, 19111 1,053,058, Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

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/6 lewe/MOM awww UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP M UELLEB. AND ANTON SCHUERMANN, OF DECATUB., ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO H. MUELLER MFG. CO., OF DECATUB., ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

SANITARY DRINKINGfFOUNTAIN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ive, PHILIP MUELLER and Axa-'0N C. SoriuizaMANN, citizens of the United States, residing at Decatur, in the county of Macon and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Drinking-Fountains, of which the following'is a specification.

. This invention relates to drinking fountains, and has for its object to provide a sanitary nozzle for the drinking stream designed to be installed in schools, public buildings, hospitals, and like places, where it can be attached to a pipe in a drinking fountain basin or bowl, to a separate faucet, or to any other service fitting having suitable means provided for catc ing the overflow of water.

This invention is designed, primarily, to protect that. portion oft' the nozzle rom which the drinking stream flows from contamination by the usci-s lips when drinking, this object being accomplished by surrounding the drinking stream with a protecting wall or curtain of water formed by a plurality of tine. streams, discharging upwardly from suitable outlets above the plane of the drinking stream outlet and concentric therewith, and directed toward said drinking stream at such anglesl that they do not converge or meet at any one point, but pass one another close to or in contact with 4the central drinking stream below its head, so that any personmay obtain a drink `from the drinking stream without interference from.

the rotecting streams, unless he' attempts to the outlet nozzle with his li s, in which case the protecting streams wi flow into his face, nose and e es, and cause him to' quickly withdraw rom the fountain. The protectin streams, which are small as compared witi the drinking stream, are urposely directed so as not to converge and orm a unitary stream which could be used as a drinking sti-cam in case the water to the drinking stream is intentionally cut otf or its flow stopped by mischievous or malicious persons.

We are aware that it has heretofore been proposed to provide a drinking fountain wherein a number of oppositely disposed streams of water are caused to conver e toward a central point in order to pr uce a. geyser-like column of water where the streams meet and from which drafts may Spectcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Fei. 11,1913.y Serial No. 668,818.

be taken at will; but o'iirpresent invention is distinguished from such prior constructions in that the separate or protecting streams of our fountain do not impinge one upon the other at. a central point, and do not form a. geyser-like column of water, but are purposely arranged so that if sufficient pressure were put upon the streams they wou d cross or pass one another without meeting to produce a central drinking column, the prime function of said streams being to steady the drinking stream and to provide a water curtain around the said stream which will discharge in the face, eyes and nose of the person drinking in case 'lie should attempt to place h islips over and in contact with lthe outlet nozzle of the drinking stream and thus cause him to ctluickly withdraw, with the result that the ountain will remain clean and sanitary at all times.

This invention is an improvement on our copendin application, filed on the 28th day of Marc 1911, and serially vnumbered 617,474, but it may be used with equal advantage on other fountains having a central drinking stream.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved fountain. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan v iew of the saine. Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view showin the interior construction of the nozzle. `ig. 4 is a perspective view of the outlet nipple removed from the nozzle. Fig. 5 is-a top lan view of a modified form of. fountain. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the same, partly in section showing the interior construction of the nozzle. Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views showing modified forms of4 invention.

In the accompanying drawincs, which are merely illustrative of one eiiibo inient of our invention. the numeral 10 desi 'mites the body of the drinking fountain iaving nn opening 11 in its service tilting or other inlet connection, said opening entri-inar but a short distance into the nozzle. Into llie upper end of the body there extends for a sullicient distance a recess 1Q. Passageu'ays 13 and 14 are bored into the body 1 0 from the olpenin 1l, the passage 13 extendino but n s iort istance into said body, while tie passage 14 passes through the saine and couimiinicates with the bottom of the ecess l2. A passage 15 is rnade in thevcenreiof the body 10 downwardly from the recess 12 nearly to the threadedopeningll, and couiiccts at its lower end by a )ort 16 with the passage 13. VThe upper end of the opening 15 is threaded to receive the threaded stein 17, of a plug 18, which plug nearly fills the recess 12. The underside of said plug 1S may be tlat, as in Fig. 3, or recessed around the st'eni 17, as at 19, Fig. G, leaving a skirt. 20 at the. eriphery of the plug reaching nearly to tie bottom of the recess 12. The upper end of the plug 18 is flanged, as shown, to enter a counter-bore at the upper end of the recess 12 when said plug is in place. In the upper end of the plug 18 is a screw threaded socket to receive a similarly screw-threaded end of a. nipple 21, having a hemisphei'ical cai-'ity 21 formed in its underside and a central vertical opening 22 extending from said cavity to the upper eiid of the nipple to provide an outlet for the drinking stream. Through the center of the plug 18 and its stem 17 is a passage way Q3 to convey water for the drinking stream into the hemispherical cavity foi-med in the nipple, from whence it passes to the outlet or vertical opening. lVithin the hemispherical cavity 21 and held therein by the nipple 21 is a batllng member 24 to retard the flow of water to the outlet 22 in the nipple.

lVater entering through the opening 11 passes up the passageways 13 and 14. That which enters t ie passage 13 flows by way of )ort 16 into theA central opening 15 in the ody 10, and thence up through the passageway 9.3 into the cavity S21, being retarded on its way to said cavity by the baflling member 24 which somewhat retards its flow. From the cavity 21* the water flows through the vertical opening 22 to a suitable height to form the drinking stream` Projcctin outwardly and upwardly on opposite. si( es of the body l0 of the nozzle are two hollow arms 25 which are connected at their upper ends to a tlat horizontal ring 2G and open therethrough, said ring being concentric to the drinking stream outlet 29.

Supported on the Hat ring 2G in any suitable and convenient manner is a hollow annular member 27'l ouen at the bottom to receive said ring and projecting upwardly therefrom, as shown, to form a chamber 9.7. The member 27 is made preferably with thin inner and outer walls 28 and 29 inclined toward each other and joined at the top of said member which is narrower than the bottom, and has formed through said top a number of small outlet holes 31 leading from the chamber 9.7 for the escape of water. to provide protecting streams around the drinking stream. The chamber 27 is made larger at its bottom than at its top to permit the water which enters freely and somewhat turbiilently therein to become steady as it rises to the top of the chamber, so that the outllowing n-otecting stream will, in turn, also be steady.

The holes 3l incline toward the drinking stream and are disposed at such angles that water passing through said holes will not converge at any point, but will pass the sides of the drinking stream ata tangent thereto` and at. different heights if so desired, but always below the top or head of the drinking stream. lly this arrangement of the holes 3l a protecting wall of small streams surround the drinking stream above the iio'/.- '/.le and arc directed toward, but not into, the drinking stream. They thus protect the nozzle from being touched by a drinkers lips without deliberate intention on his` part, and a disregard of the protecting wall.

That portion of the water which travels up the passageway 14 into the recess 12` first stri (es against the bottom of the plug 18, or enters t ie recess 19 in the plug, should there be one, and is retarded and deflected around the plug or the bottom of the skirt 20 and up the narrow space between the plug 18 and the body 10, into the hollow arms 25, thence out through said arms and the ring 2G into the annular chamber 27, from whence it passes out through the openings' 31 to form the protecting curtain or u'all.

lVater entering the chamber 27 from the hollow arms 25 is impeded and has its force reduced by an annular baille plate 32 within the chamber and close to the flat, ring 26. The batlling plate 32 is preferably in the form of an inverted substantially seiiii-circular trough, the outer side 33 of which lies against the outer wall of the member 27 in position to distribute the water entering through the arms 25 around the baille plate, and below its inner edge 34, which latter is spaced a short distance from the inner wall of the member 27 and slightly above the ring 20, through which space water flows into the chamber, and rising quickly therein makes its exit, through the holes 3l which are angularly disposed, so that the protect.- ing streams issuing therefrom will be tangent to the drinking stream. As a further protection for the nozzle, the nipple thereof through which the drinking stream issues, terminates below the plane of the surrounding protecting stream openings, thus placing said nipple in a position where it is inipossible to be touched by the drinkers lips, which can be done when on a plane with, or above, the ring and its small openings 31.

The nipple is provided with means for preventing boys and other mischievously inclined persons from placing a thumb or linger partly over the drinking stream outlet for the purpose of detlectingr said stream out of its coiii'se onto their companions and over the floor at a distance from the fountain. 'lhe means herewith designed for preventing the deflection of the drinking stream comprises a cylindrical extension 50 of suitable-height on the upper end of the nipple 21 and surrounding the outlet 22. The extension is open at its top and preferably is of greater internal diameter than the outlet 22 to permit the drinking stream passing freely therethrough. Through the circular wall of the extension 50 is formed a number of relatively large openings 51 of such size that should the top of the extension be closed by the finger, hand or other means, the water from the nozzle will flow with little force laterally througl'i the openings 51 and into a waste receptacle below.

In place of a flat ring 26 a hollow ring 2G (see Figs. 5 and 6) circular in cross section, may be employed through which a number of holes 2T are bored tangential to the drinking stream. The ring 26 may be supported on the ends of a plurality of ontwardly inclined arms 38, two of which arms 25a on o posite sides of t-he ring are hollow and conc uct water thereto from the recess 12 in the body 10.

If desired` the ring may be semicircular or other portion of a circle, as in 26" of Fig. 7, to fit the fountain near a wall or in a corner.

The fountain may be further modified by omitting the ring and making a perforation Q7 in the closed extremity of a number of radial arms 25", see Fig. 8.

In every ease the angular position of the holes or perforations is such that the stream issuin from each hole will be tangent to the drinking stream and rise to its highest point in close proximity thereto.

`We do not, of course, wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise construction of body and its associated internal parts as herein shown and described` as those illustrated are merely by way of example.

The gist of this invention resides in placing the drinking stream outlet below the outlets for the small protecting streams and directing said protecting streams tangentially toward said drinking stream at such angles that the protecting streams cannot converge, and they cannot, therefore, of themselves, form a solid drinking stream. such stream issuing solely from the central nozzle opening 22, although this stream may be augmented somewhat at the points where the protecting streams meet the drinking stream should they be projected into contact therewith by reason of their tangential arrangement and projection. lVhen the protecting streams actually cut the outer edge or surface of the central drinking stream, it has been found that they form a sort of vortex around the same which aids materially in steadying the drinking stream, and this is considered to be of great advantage, as it is well known that one of the objections .found t-o exist in the present bubbling drinking fountains is the unsteadiness of the drinking stream, and anything that will render the stream steady is of great advantage.

Having fully described our invention what we claim is 1. A drinking fountain having an outlet for a vertical drinking stream and a series of Outlets concentric with the drinking stream outlet. for the emission of a number of small protecting streams directed toward the drinking stream at. a tangent thereto.

2. A drinking fountain having an outlet for a vertical drinking stream and a series of inwardly inclined outlets concentric with the drinking outlet and in a. higher plane than said outlet for the emission of a number of small streams which are projected at a tangent to the drinking stream and below the top of the same.

3. A drinking fountain comprising a nozzle having a vertical outlet for a drinking stream, and a chambered member concentric with said outlet having a series of inwardly inclined holes therethrough above and concentric with said outlet for the emission of a number of small protecting streams directed tangentially toward the drinking stream and below the top of the same.

4. A drinking fountain comprisin 7 a nozzle having a vertical outlet for a diinking stream, an annular chambered member surrounding said outlet and concentric therewith, a pair of hollow arms projecting outwardly and upwardly from said nozzle and opening into said annular member through the to of which latter are formed a number o small angularly disposed holes for the flow of the protecting streams tangentially toward the drinkin" stream and below t-he top of the same, and an inlet for said .nozzle divided into two passageways, one

supplying the drinking stream and the other the protecting streams.

5. A drinking fountain comprising a nozzle having a vertical outlet for a drinking stream and a recess therein separate from the drinking stream outlet, an annular chambered member surrounding said outlet and having a series of angular-ly disposed holes through the top thereof on a higher plane than the drinking stream outlet, a pair of hollow arms connecting said recess within the nozzle to the annular chamber-ed member through the small openings in which the protecting streams are projected tangentially toward the drinking stream, and an inlet for the water divided into two passage-ways, one leading to the drinking stream and the other to the interior recess.

6. A drinking fountain comprising a nozv zle having a vertical outlet for a drinking stream and a recess within the nozzle, an inlet to the nozzle divided into two passageoutlet and tlieother to said"recess, oppo.

sitel arranged ,hollow arms projecting upwa ly and outwardly from said nozzlean l opening into t.lie recess within the same, an

an annularltchambered member. concentric by'eaid arms,' and in communication there with, said mem r havin aiseries of inwardly inclined holes with said outlet for' the emission of a number of small protecting stneams projecting tan ntiallytoward said drinking stream within the chamber of said annular member,

7. A drinking fountain compi'isin a noz# zle having 'a vertical outlet for a rinking stream andan interior recess' separate from said outlet, an inlet connected by-separate )tissage ways to the drinking stream outlet and to said recess', upwardly and outwiiidl)1 spreading hollow arms oii said nozzle opening into said recess, an annular chambered member carried by and communicating with said hollow arms and having a series of small holes through its top concentric to said drinking stream outlet for the emission of -small protecting streams projecting tan ent-hilly toward the drinking stream and be ow its top, and a baille mem- 'ber within said annular clinmbered 'nicmber in close contact with one u'all thereof and spaced from the opposite wall for the passage of water therethrough.

8. A drinking fountain comprisiue a nozzle having a vertical4 outlet for Aa drinking stream and a recess within the-nozzle separate from said outlet, an inlet through outlet and tlic interior recess. two oppositely disposed hollow arms extending upwardly and outwardly from the nozzle and openin;r into tho recess within the nozzle', a ilat ring supported on the upper ends of said arms, und having openings ,therethrough coincident with the hollow arms,

erein lconcentric below its top, and aba'ling member.

an annular chambered member mounted on said flat ring, the Walls of which member. converge upwardly and inclose n. chamber therein, said member having a pluralityof inwardly inclinedholes, and a battling' mem-4 l ber within said annular chambered member. with the'drinkmg stream out-let supported.

'i 9. A drinkin fountain having-an outlet. for a\'ertical rinking stream and al series of. outlets concentric vwith the [drinking stream out-letfor the emission of a numbeiof small protecting streams directed toward the drinking stream -at a tangent thereto and coa-lescing therewith, said protecting streams being so positioned as to wet a person should he attempt to touch the drinking stream outlet with his "lips,

10. A drinking fountain having an out; let for a vertical drinking stream and a series of. outlets concentric with the drinking stream outlet for the emission of a number of small protecting streams directed toward and discharging into the4 said drinking stream so as to coalesce therewith and be picked up thereby, said protecting streams being so. positioned as to wet -aA rson should he attempt. to touch 'the drinking stream outlet with his lips.

11. A drinking fountain haging an o utlet for a vertical drinking stream and a series ofoutlets concentric with the drinking stream outlet for the emission of a n'umber ofsmall protecting streams .directed toward and discharging intothe said drinking stream at a pointbelow the top thereof, said protecting streams being so positioned as to tlow into the face'of a person should he attempt to touch the drinking stream outlet vwith his lips.' which water enters the drinking stream- In testimony whereof .we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses. A

' PHILIP MUELLER.

. ANTON C. SKCHUERMANN. Witnesses:

WiLLiAM R. BIDDLE,

Cari-manen E. McKEowN.

Coplas 'of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by a'ddreaatng the Commissioner of Patenti) Washington. D. C." 

